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Editorial: Put the heat on Congress

on April 14, 2014

Photo: J. Scott Applewhite

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Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., departs the chamber during the vote on restoring jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, legislation that expired late last year, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, April 7. (Associated Press) less

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., departs the chamber during the vote on restoring jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, legislation that expired late last year, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, April ... more

The jobs aren't going to just magically appear. But Congress needs to do its part.

Here's a spring break activity for a Congress that can't bring itself to help the estimated 4.3 million long-term unemployed Americans: Go and personally explain what the holdup is, to each and every one of them.

That's about 8,000 people for each senator and representative, more than enough to fill the time during a two-week taxpayer-paid vacation.

They could explain, while they're drawing paychecks of $3,346 a week, why they're so reluctant, especially in the Republican-controlled House, to extend unemployment benefits for people who can't find a job in this economy — who, even if this bill passed, would see an average benefit of just $300 a week.

They could explain why, after the Senate Democrats and Republicans met the demand for spending cuts to offset the unemployment extender cost, the House GOP changed the rules and said it now had to come with a new jobs plan, too.

House Speaker John Boehner and his members could also explain how approving the Keystone XL pipeline and scaling back the Affordable Care Act, qualify as a genuine jobs plan. They could explain exactly how insuring fewer Americans makes people more economically secure, and how Keystone XL helps the economy when an independent study at Cornell University determined that the project could actually destroy more jobs than it generates.

We don't disagree that paying out unemployment benefits endlessly is not a viable long-term strategy. But ripping the safety net out from under millions of people is hardly a sound economic policy, attempts by conservatives in Congress to make it sound like one notwithstanding.

To be sure, the House GOP has offered a jobs training bill; the problem is, that's just one facet of what needs to be done. Yet since 2011, when President Barack Obama offered a comprehensive, $447 billion job-creation package, Republicans have done nothing but balk, block and obsess on Obamacare.

So much could be done, especially for those for whom the America dream has gone on hiatus.